Semiconductor devices continue to increase in size and power-density, resulting in a number of challenges for system designers. One of the primary challenges relates to radio-frequency (RF) shielding—i.e., how to efficiently reduce coupling and interference between neighboring devices. This challenge is even more severe in vertically-integrated devices—i.e., components that consist of multiple stacked layers substrates and devices located very close to each other.
When two or more RF devices are stacked vertically (i.e., in the z-direction), the signals generated by one device within the stack can affect other devices within the stack. This causes significant RF interference and coupling with respect to the devices located above the first devices. While prior art RF semiconductor devices have incorporated various shielding layers within a single integrated circuit, or between adjacent layers on a single substrate, such systems are unsatisfactory in addressing RF coupling and interference between components within vertically-integrated systems.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods that reduce RF coupling and interference in vertically-integrated devices by overcoming these and other shortcomings of the prior art. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.